Glass melting furnace



Sept. 7,1943. L. s. LONGENECKER GLASS MELTING FURNACE Filed June 29, 1940 3 SheetsShee'l; l

m n W INVENTOR p 1943? LJS. LON GENECKER" 2,328,917

GLASS- MELTING' FURNACE Filed June 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR @2504 J: W 326 a YWFFM p 1943.4 v L. s. LONGENECKER 2,328,917

' GLASS MELTING FURNACE Filed June 29, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 V INVENTO'R 'bustible mixture of preheated air and Patented Sept. 7, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLASS lt'IELTI NG FURNACE Levi s Longenecker, Mount Lebanon, Pa. I Application June 29, 1940, Serial No. 343,187

I 12 Claims. This invention relates to glass melting furnaces and more particularly to the furnace ports and the furnace regenerator roofs and uptakes.

While the prior patented art discloses at least one furnace of this type which is provided with what may be termed long continuous ports,. no such structure, so far as I am aware, is used in any commercially successful furnace.

The patent referred to is Showers et al..Patent I such ports are, so far as I am aware, in actual use today. The furnaces in use today employ individual relatively short ports, and, while suspended roofs for the furnace and regenerative chambers are disclosed in said patent, no com- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section and is,

taken on line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view partially in plan and partially in horizontal section and is taken at different mercial furnace employing'roofs of this type, so

far as I am aware, is now in operation.

. Since furnaces of the type here contemplated are reversed during operation, the ports not only 7 serve to deliver the combustible mixture-made up of fueland preheated air-to the furnace chamber, but serve as outlet portsfor the hot products, of combustion as they leave the furnace chamber on their way to theregenerative chambers adjacent thereto.

- An objectof thisinvention is to produce im-' proved continuous long ports for delivering to the heating chamber of glass melting furnaces a compreheated lean gas, such as producer gas.

. Another object is to produce a commercially practical continuous long port for the use of producer gas in furnaces of this type and by means of which it is possible to obtain a continuous ribbon-like soft luminous flame which will cover elevations; the right hand side of said view being taken on line III-III of Fig. 2 while the lefthand half of said view istaken on line IIIa-IIIa of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion. of the floor. of my improved furnace port.

In an application for patent filed by me on January 29,- 1940, and serially numbered 343,186, I have disclosed a glass melting furnace which, in many respects, is similar to the furnace of this application. The furnace of my prior application of the furnace above the checkersjof the regenerator, it will be understood that the other half is I of identical construction. It will also be under- A further object is to produce an improvedsuspended curtain wall for separating the uptakes of adjacent gas and air regenerators.

A still further object is to produce an improved port floor structure for use with preheated air and preheated producer gas.

A still further object is to produce a suspended hollow air cooled refractory wall for separating the adjacent uptakesof air and gas regenerators used in glass melting furnaces.

These and other objects which will be apparent to those'skilled in this particular art, I attain stood that this transverse section is representative of the furnace in either the boiling zone or the degassing zone.

In the furnace chosen as an embodiment of the invention of this application, l0 represents the refractory floor or bottom of a furnace tank of usual construction. I l represents one of the refractory side walls of the tank.

pended roof made up of interlocking refractory l2 represents my flat sus- A vertically extending refractory wall l5 spaced frcmtank side wall ll forms one vertical wall of a regenerator'chamber for preheating the producer gas used as fuel. A vertical wall It serves as the outer'wall of the regenerator for preheating-the air fed to the furnace. A vertical Well i! common to the two regenerators separates the not only 0001 the l structure, but will brackets andhangers.

4 low portions.

checker chambers thereof. The regenerator for air is provided with checkerworkz 'f i3 whilethe gas regenerator is provided with checkerwork IS. The regenerator uptakes (thosefor the air being numbered 20 and those for the I preheating the gas being numbered 2| and 2|a).; -are. separated '2',sae,9 1 7 a, I I regenerators. The rear-edges of tile or blocks 30,

3| and 32 are undercut, so to speak, as shown at j-- 33 soas to slightly overhang the uptakes 2| of the one-' from the other-by a hollow suspended re fractory wall which as an entirety is numbered 22, and whicheforms an important featureof the invention of this application.

The gas and air uptakes are formed the na ture of flues and not only serve to conduct the serves as downtakes (whenthe furnace is reversed) for conducting thehot waste gases or of the regenerators. 1

gas regenerator.

The uptake of the air regenerator is provided ;with vertically extending horizontally spaced partitions 34 which divide the same into the flues before referred to, and gates or dampers 36,

which are supported by flanges on these partitions, are utilized for controlling the amount of delivered to the different dues of the air uppreheated air and gas to the "furnacabut also products of combustion to the checkerchambers The separating walls of adjacent ducts or up i takes leading-to and from adjacent airand gas regenertors have been a source of trouble in the.

past, since there has been no adequate way of v cooling thesame; During operation of the furnace, they are' kept-constantly heated from both.- sides with theresiilt that they-melted away and collapsedgji mhouow'tai 22 1's.

- haped in cross section.

take channel. i Partitions 46 which separate the channel leading upwardly from the gas regenerator divide the channel into gas ports 2| and 2la and each of these ports is controlled by means of a damper or gate 2lb which projects through a slot'formed for that-purpose in vertical wall I 5, and is supported on flange-likemembers 2lc which project laterally from walls 46. By means of these dampers or gates 2|b the amount of fuel supplied by different flues 2| and 2|a can be controlled, and

and comprises-spaced vertical wall portions'j23,v

refractory blocks in said patent.

'- and 24 formed of courses or rows of interlockin .j-

or tile such as broadly disclosed l The lower end portion of wall 22 30.

is formed of interlocking refractory blocks or tile;

and 21. Tile are preferably s pported from a Wall 22;has' its opposite a desiredt a ing airmay? also cool the metal supporting I Wall 22 preferably extends throughout the i length of either or both the boiling and degassin zones of .thefurn'ace, and the top of, each of its vertical wall portions "and 24 throughout its length'is preferably notched or :crenelated. In

other words, each-of" said wall has alternating .high and lowportions, 1 v Located at each end'of each low wall portion 22 is a vertically extending block 30. These blocks orced current of coolbewfconstantly passedtheretl'irouglria- T during the operation of. the furnace. This will refractories forming the wall 25, and this lower end portion is .joined to the verticalportions 23 and 24:.and this lower wall.

portion is Joined to the vertical portions 23. and f 24 by two rows of interlocking nose blocks 26" the dampers can be operated by the furnace operator; a cat walk 2|d being provided for the operator.

Tank wall is braced and held in position by a series of vertically extending beams3l (only one beam being shown) carried by a series of horiizontal beams 38 which support the floor In of thetank, and a number of brace members 39' which are carried by vertical beams 31 and which bearag'ainst the outer face of the tank wall A series ,of vertical beams 40 (only one being shown) helps to maintain'wall l5 of the gas regenerator in position. Certain of vertical beams 40, or those which .fall in linewith gas flues 2|, are shorter, than the others and the shorter beams 40 are connectedat their top to a horizontally extending beam 4| which joins the tops of beams 31, by a short section of beam 42.- The longer beams 4!) connect with said horizontal beam 4| bymeans of beam sections 43; Beam sections .42 and 43 serve as supports for refrac tory blocks or'slabs which form a floor 44'; which; 11-1 the vertically extending partitions 46 of the gas uptake. These rear end portions have clownwardly inclined tops which jointhe adj acent edge 41 of horizontal floor 44, as shown at 30a.

' IHorizontal floor 44 is lower than the tops of block or tile33 and 32 and in line with gas flues 2| and is provided withtroughrlike depressed portiongld which serve as channels for the gas flow;

; ing -u'p through ports 2|. Ports2|awhich alterare sup orted by the wall sections 23 and 24, and; 3

located portions of walls 23; and 24 are horizontally extending floor blocks 32. This is clearly shown in Figs; 2. 3 ands and provides a roof for hollowwall 22 having alternately positioned high and The forward ends of tile or blocks 30, 3| and 32,-those'ends of such blocks which are adiacent the uptakes of the air regenerator-are beveled as shown in the drawings so as to reduce resistance to changing direction of the air streams flowing through the uptakes of the air tween each pair of blocks 30 is a horizontally extending floorblock or tile" 3|. 'L ocated between blocks 30 and supported by the high The roof above floor 44 is r 53 from interlocking tile such as broadly disclosed in my Patent 1,590,303. The tile forming the natewith ports 2| conduct the as flowing up- 1 wardly therethrough to outlet ports 49 which 'discharge their streams of gas across the horizontal portionsof floor 44 between depressed portions 43 of said ,floor. V a

knuckle are suspended from longitudinally extending beams He by means of hangers, preferably such as disclosed in Patent 2,126Q901. issued to me on August 16, 1938. This knuckle extends throughout the length of horizontal floor 44, and,

with said floor forms a long continuous port through which the preheated air and gas is discharged into the furnace chamber. The lower point of said knuckle andthatpor tion' of the horizontal floor immediately there- .in the main is horizontal, and which spans the spacebetweenvertical walls 'and'ld. Vertically extending tile or blocks 30 are of such length that their rear 'endportions 45 cover formed as a knuckle y knuckle can be located at I tion with relation to inner air regenerator' over the y c "32 flows in a substantially unbroken stream the intermixing of throat or neck. is

" throat or neck anchor.

2,328,917 beneath forms the throat or neck of said port,

and it will be obvious that this lower point of the just the proper posiedge 55 of floor 44 so asto locate the shadow or cold spot on the port rectlyin front of the port, as happens in present 'day commercial furnaces.

The roof of the airregenerator chamber is located below the port floor as in my application Serial No. 343,186, and as in said application,

i A is preferably formed by refractory tile. or blocks such as broadly disclosed in my Patent 1,590,303.

These tile or blocks are preferably suspended from longitudinal beams 52 in the manner disclosed in my Patent 2,126,901. The outer vertical wall of the air regenerator uptake is formed of interlocking refractory blocks 53 such as above referred to and these are preferably supported in the manner disclosed in my Patent 1,977,799. A row or course of nose blocks 54 joins-theroof and latter patent.

That portion of the furnace roof located be -k I tween knuckle 50 and the verticalwall of'theair re'generator uptake is made. up ofalternately arranged courses of long tile or blocks 56 andshort tile or blocks 51. These courses of long blocks in eflect provide guiding vanes which extend from the outer vertical wall of each airfiuptake'to' knuckle 50 and serve as guide vanes to prevent side slipping of the air stream as its flows from the regenerator uptake flues to'the. furnace port. From the above, it will'be seen that the preheated air passingfrom the uptake hues of the tops of blocks-3U, 3| and which is guided and prevented from side slipping at the port throat real mixing of gas andair takes place,. and the is the point of flame control or Because of the f port floor made upof the tops or upper surfaces 1 g of blocks 30 and 32 is higher than the horizontal preheated air passing over iioor portion 44, the blocks 30 and 32 forms a preheatedair blanket which overlies the gas streams issuing from ports 4 2 la. A like situation occurs in regard to the preheated. air streams passing over floor blocks 3| since these blocks are higher than the inclined top faces of the depressed portions 48 of floor 44. In other words, the air streams passing over "blocks illoverlie the gas streams issuing from The inclined roof section 51a, with its depend ing guides vanes 56a, turns the preheated air passing through the 'air regenerator uptakes and causes the same to flow, without sid slipping, over the port floor with its different levels, so that the preheated gas enters the under side of the air stream with a minimum of turbulencyboth air and gas coming in contact while moving in parallel streams- Y Y i The upper portion or layer of the air stream factthat that portion "of the [floor instead of on the surface of the glass cli vertical wall portions and is preferably constructed and supported in the manner disclosed in said 3 forms a blanket which protects the knuckle as well as the roof direct flame impingement. This not only provents carbon deposition, but excessive wear and tear on the refractories forming the knuckle and the furnace roof. The knuckle, in conjunction with the port floor, is. the fiamecontrol and anchor point as described in connection with my application Serial No. 343,186.

By'means of dampers 36" and H17, it is possible, with the continuous port of this invention,

to place the point of heaviest firing so that it.

will at all times completelyblanket the boiling zone and particularly the foam line.

If desired, I may employ a knuckle extending along or adjacent the longitudinal center line of the zone in which my ports are used, that is, along the center line of the boiling zone or the centerline of the degassing zone, as the case may be, or along the center line of both of these zones, as disclosed. in my 343,186, in order to establish a point of turbu lency to complete the mixing of air' and any unburned gas.

complete combustion of all the gas before it on This flnal rapid mixing insures ters the port outlet port,

which at the time is serving as the. and provides a uniform temperature across-the furnace chamber from port to port.

completed in the outlet ports 7 disclosed in Figure 6' of Thi isimportant because combustion which is of gas-endless of temperature ahead of the port,

but adds 'to the wear and tear 'on the port re Q- fractories.

This turbulency producing knuckle instead of being continuous may, ';i! desired, be formed as 343,181, that is with pressed sections. Such a construction will not only produce turbulency, but the depressedaec tions will serve as guiding vanes to keep the name from side slipping. i

In cases where it 2| can be closed. v'Zlhe rich gas. can then be fed to flue's' 2| above the closed dampers 2") through pipes 58 which project in wall I! header 59..

through openings formed and which connect .with arich gas The hot flues above the closed damp- ,ers will serve as cracking chambers forthe rich gas admitted thereto. The cracked gas will thus enrich the combustible mixture. The closed dampers will, of course, prevent'preheated producergas from passing up through these closed It of course willbe-understood that fines Ila will still serve to convey preheatedfproducer gas from the gas regenerator to the fuel stream.

Havingthus'dcscribed my invention, what. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patfentis:

1. In aglass melting furnace of the type having a furnace heating chamber, a tank for a molten glass bath below said chamber, a pair of regeneratorson opposite sides of said tank for preheating air and gas and having vertically extending uptakes, vertically extending partitions separating the gas uptakes into flues, and dampers for closing oi! certain 01' said gas flues, means for discharging a rich gas such as natural gasinto said closed oif'flues above said dampers.

2. In a glass melting furnace, a furnace heating chamber, a tank below said chamber, relatively long ports on opposite sides of said chamber and each having its roof formed as a suspended knuckle, adjacent vertically extending uptakes l2 of the heating chamber from said application Serial No.

is not only wasteful my application, serial No. 7 alternating fiat and dec is desired to enrich a lean m" i with a rich gas,dampe'rs lit, in thesmaller flues preheated air and said uptakes.

low refractory structure forming one wall of each uptake and having a top which bridges the space between said uptakes and is provided with cops and crenelles which alternate throughout the port length.

3. In a glass melting furnace having a heating chamber, a tank below said chamber, port on opposite sides of said chamber and each having its floor substantially flat and-itsroof formed as a suspended knuckle, a gas regenerator having a vertically extending uptake adjacent the rear of said port floor and an air regenerator having its uptake. spaced from refractory wall having its top or roof located between said uptakes and formed of alternatinghigh and low sections; said port floor in line with said low sections being depressed to provide gas troughs or channels.

4. In a glass melting furnace of the type having a heating chamber, a tank below said chamber, side ports above said tank for alternately discharging into opposite sides of said chamber a combustible mixture of air and gas, and a pair of regenerators on each side of said tank for pre heating said air and gas and having vertically extending uptakes divided into fiues, with those of the gas regenerators located closer to the tank than those of the air regenerators; each side port comprising a substantiallly fiat floor portion which extends from the tank to the adjacent gas uptake flues and is provided with multiple grooves which line up with alternate gas times and have bottoms which incline downwardly fromsaid flat portion toward said gas fiues, and a port roof which is formed as a suspended knuckle, in

combination with a floor which extends from said gas uptake to the adjacent air uptake and is made up of alternate high and low portions with said I low portion aligned with the grooves in theflat floor portion.

5. In a furnace discharging into the furnace heating chamber gas, a pair of regenerators within which said air and gas are preheated, and having vertically extending uptakes, a suspended roof above said uptakes and said ports and which is provided with guide vanes for preventing sideslipping of the preheated air and gas issuing from 6. In a tank type glass melting furnace having side ports for alternately discharging into opposite sides of the furnace heating chamber preheated air and gas, pairs of regenerators on op- I posite sides of the furnace for preheating said air and gas; each pair of regenerators having verti cally extending adjacent uptakes, a hollow U- shaped refractory structure separating said uptakes and serving as one wall of each such uptake, and means extending lengthwise through said hollow structure for suspending the same.

' 7. In a tank type glass 'melting furnace having side ports for alternately. discharging into opposite sides of the furnace heating chamber preheated-air and gas,.a pair of regenerators'for' each port and having vertically extending upthe gas uptake by a hollow having ports for alternately of air and gas regenerators, and a suspended hol-' heated air and gas, a pair' of regenerators forpreheating the air and gas delivered to each port, and having vertically extending uptakes, a hollow vU-shaped structure which is open at both ends to the atmosphere outside of the furnace, is made up of interlocking refractory tile, and serves as a common wall separating said uptakes, and means extending lengthwise through and beyondthe ends of'said hollow structure for supporting the same.

9. In atank type glass melting furnace having ports for discharging preheated air and gas into the furnace chamber above the tank, air and gas regenerators for supplying preheated air and gas to-each port and arranged with their checkerwork located below said tank, a pair of uptakes extending vertically from said regenerators to r tile supported by means which extend horizon-- tally through the space between said vertical 7 walls. v

10. In a furnace having a port which serves as an inlet port for preheated air and gas'and as an outgoing port for hot products of combustion, a

pair of regenerators located a distance below said port and having a channel which extend upwardly therefrom to the port level, a substantially U-shaped refractory structure which has its ends open to the atmosphere and divides said channel into two parts, one of which serves to conduct preheated gas from one regenerator to such port and to conduct hot products of combustion'from said port to said regenerator, and the other of which serves to conduct preheated air from the other regenerator to said port and hot products of combustion from said port'to said other regenerator, and beams which pass lengthwise through the space within said hollow U-shaped structure for supporting said structure.

11. In a tank type glass melting furnace, a port having a lmuckle-like suspended roof, a floor be low said roof, which in the main is fiat, but which along its edge removed from said tank is provided with spaced depressed portions, a pair of regenerators for supplying said port with preheated air and gas and each having a passage which extends from its checkerworkto a point abovethe port level, a U-shaped refractory structure which separates said passages into .air and gas uptakes and is open at both ends to the atmosphere, a

refractory cover carried by said structure and level, and lower portions which are'aligned with the depressed portions of the port floor, and

means extending lengthwise-through-and beyond the ends of said hollow U-shapedstructure, for

supporting the same.

takes, a hollow U-shaped refractory structure.

made of interlocking refractory tile serving as a separating .wall common to said uptakes, and

horizontal beams extending lengthwise through the space within said-hollow structure for supv porting said structure.-

8. In a tank type glass melting furnace having side ports for alternately, discharging into opposite sides of the furnace heating chamber pre-.

' 12. In a tank type'f'urnace having ports for aling said uptakes, .means extending lengthwise through said hollow structure for suspending the same, vertically extending walls dividing each 1 uptake into flues, and adjustable dampers forv controlling the effective area of saidfiues.

LEVI s. LONGENECKER.

having portions thereof located above the port heated, andhaving verticallyextending uptakes,

a hollow U-shaped refractorystructure separate Patent No. 2,528,917.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION;

September 7, 1-915.

LEVI S. LONGENECKER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5, sec- 0nd column, line 57, for the serial number "515,181" read --5l 5,188-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in'the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of November, A. D. 1915.

hm Henry Van Arsdale, 7 (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

